Working in Crises and Conflict

USAID marks milestone in providing humanitarian assistance

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest and most-protracted ever recorded and it shows no signs of waning as the affected countries have been unable to control the outbreak on their own.

Conflict in the Central African Republic has left an estimated 2.5 million people--more than half the country's population--in need of humanitarian assistance.

Every year, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters affect approximately 100 million people and cause more than $100 billion dollars in economic damage. Today, nearly 53 million people worldwide are in need of emergency food aid. And authoritarian leaders still govern nearly 50 countries, while the same number of countries are affected by conflict or potential instability.

Poverty and conflict are inextricably linked to authoritarianism and poor governance, with the consequences for citizens only worsening during times of crisis.

In 2014, conflict in South Sudan left millions in need of assistance while Syria entered the fourth year of a brutal civil war that has destroyed entire communities and affected far too many lives. Just as we have in South Sudan and Syria, USAID remains committed to responding to crises around the world, to help the people and places most in need.

With a focus on disaster prevention, response, recovery and transition, we are working to: